Stakeholder Forum Releases Synthesis Document from ‘Towards Bonn2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus – Solutions for the Green Economy’ Workshop at the UN DPI NGO Conference
Stakeholder Forum has today released a synthesis document from the UN/DPI workshop ‘Towards Bonn 2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus – Solutions for the Green Economy’, which formed part of the stakeholder engagement process for the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference, and represented an opportunity for civil society organizations to contribute to the debate around water, energy and food security.
The event was moderated by Thomas Stratenwerth of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and Franz Marré of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Panelists were Albert Butare, former Minister of Energy and Water of the Republic of Rwanda and Co-Chair of the International Steering Committee of the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference, and Johan Kuylenstierna, Centre Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute and Steering Committee Member.
In the first part of the workshop, the two panelists introduced the components of the nexus approach and highlighted the importance of addressing water, energy and food security holistically. Albert Butare emphasized the problems involved with treating each resource individually, stressing that an integrated approach will be necessary if conflicts are to be avoided. Johan Kuylenstierna provided an overview of the current work around the three securities, and the key incentives needed to facilitate coherent policies and governance.
The second part of the workshop consisted in a roundtable discussion, allowing participants to discuss the main challenges to water, energy and food security, including the lack of tools and participatory processes in decision-making; the lack of public awareness and education regarding the sustainable use of resources; the role of the private sector in the provision of basic services; and the lack of cross-sectoral and interconnected planning, amongst other problems. The participants discussed a range of potential policy recommendations in response to these problems.
The workshop allowed for a range of viewpoints to be aired, and as such formed a valuable part of the preparations for the Bonn2011 Conference. A full summary of the discussions can be found here.
The next workshops will be organized during the preparatory meetings for Rio+20 in Seoul and Addis Ababa in late October 2011.
